Issue - meetings

Report CS16008

Approval was sought to extend the community sexual health services contract for a period of six months from 1^st April 2017 to 30th September 2017. Currently, a range of community sexual health services, including contraception, are commissioned from Bromley Healthcare (BHC). Other primary and community providers are also commissioned to deliver contraception, outreach, and prevention programmes. The contract with BHC is a joint block contract with Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) expiring on 31st March 2017 and the CCG is extending their schedule of services for six months.

Report CS16008 focused on future commissioning intentions and procurement options for contraception and the range of community sexual health services in the current BHC block contract. 

Measures were being investigated to reduce costs and more work was planned for clinical pathways, redefining service specifications, activity modelling, financial impacts, and risk assessment - a contract extension would allow time for local evaluation, due diligence, and risk assessment of changes. 

RESOLVED that the contract for the following services be extended for six months when the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) community contract expires:

·  Contraception and Reproductive Health Services

·  Community Sexual Health Services (Health Improvement Service and HIV Community Nurse Specialist Service)

Report CS16008

The Portfolio Holder presented a report outlining a gateway review undertaken of Sexual Health Services which were currently delivered via a joint block contract with the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group which would end on 31^st March 2017.  It also sought approval to extend the existing contract for Contraception and Reproductive Health Services and Community Sexual Health Services (Health Improvement Service and HIV Community Nurse Specialist Service) for a period of six months from 1^st April 2017 to 30^th September 2017. 

The Local Authority had an obligation to provide open access Contraception and Genitourinary medicine services to everyone present in the Borough.  A range of community sexual health services were commissioned from Bromley Healthcare, with other primary and community providers commissioned to deliver contraception, outreach and prevention programmes across the Borough.  Available evidence showed that the local prevention strategy was having a positive impact on the local teenage pregnancy rate which was now at its lowest since 1998, and that the rates of sexually transmitted infections continued to be below the England average.  However some key areas for improvement had been identified including the need to increase usage of Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives to reduce unplanned pregnancies, and to minimise onward transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections through promotion of condom use and frequent testing. 

Work was being undertaken across the region to develop a more cost effective and sustainable strategy to improve sexual health outcomes.  This included work by London sexual health commissioners on the introduction of a set of integrated tariffs, and by South East London commissioners to explore the expansion of local online home sampling services and the introduction of an e-service for some contraception types.  It was proposed to extend the contract with the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group for the provision of Contraception and Reproductive Health Services and Community Sexual Health Services (Health Improvement Service and HIV Community Nurse Specialist Service) for a period of six months from 1^st April 2017 to 30^th September 2017 to allow time for this work to be completed and for local evaluation and assessment of risk associated with the introduction of the proposed changes to be undertaken.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to extend the contract for the following services for a period of six months from 1^st April 2017 to 30^th September 2017:

·  Contraception and Reproductive Health Services

·  Community Sexual Health Services (Health Improvement Service and HIV Community Nurse Specialist Service)